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The Season of 'Upskirt' Photo-Taking Is Upon Us, Officials Warn

By Noah Hurowitz | April 14, 2016 5:14pm
 Officials warn that the proliferation of so-called
Officials warn that the proliferation of so-called "upskirters" is expected to surge in locations like Union Square as the weather gets warmer.
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DNAInfo/Noah Hurowitz

UNION SQUARE — Following a rash of 'upskirt' arrests in Manhattan during one warm week in March, officials are warning New Yorkers to be wary of strange behavior in heavily-trafficked areas like Union Square and Grand Central.

An unseasonably warm week in March saw a surge of arrests of would-be “upskirters” in Manhattan, with five men arrested between March 9 and 11, when temperatures reached the high 70s, according to a statement from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., whose office is launching a social media awareness campaign to combat the trend.

“This is a serious crime with serious consequences,” Vance said in the statement. “These are not victimless crimes, but damaging invasions of privacy, and so-called ‘upskirters’ will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Common locations where people should be on the lookout for offenders include Union Square, Times Square, the 59th Street/Lexington Avenue station and Grand Central Station, according to a spokeswoman.

People caught taking upskirt photos face a felony charge of unlawful surveillance, a class-E felony that carries a maximum penalty of between 16 months and four years in prison along with possible sex-offender registration, Vance said.

The most common method of getting the photos is with a smartphone, but so-called upskirters have also been known to use cameras hidden in books, newspapers, shoes, buttons and bags, according to the statement.

Devices that are seized during arrests often yield photos of more than one woman — sometimes as many as two dozen — with each individual victim counting for an individual charge against the upskirter, according to the release.

The DA urged anyone who sees an upskirter in action or who is the victim of an unwanted and invasive photograph to report the crime to police, or an MTA employee or to call 911.